Support



L. B. PAUL April 25, 1939.

SUPPORT Filed Nov. 23, 1937 BY myiw%f HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORT all of Joliet, Ill.

Application November 23, 1937, Serial No. 176,118

4 Claims.

My invention relates to the disposition of ash trays, cigarette packages, matches, and the like, and includes among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved supporting shelf designed for detachable connection with lamp standards, tables, or the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a supporting shelf embodying novel clamp means for detachable connection with supports of variable proportions and in which the shelf includes means for supporting a cigarette package, a match box, as well as a supporting surfacefor an ash tray.

Another object is to provide a device of the type described which may be stamped from sheet metal and in which the device comprises two principal parts.

Another object is to provide a device of the type described in which the shelf isdetachably connected with a supporting clamp and in which provision is made for shifting the relation of the clamp to the shelf in such a manner as to make the unit applicable to vertical as well as horizontal supports.

type described in which a shelf is detachably connected with a supporting clamp and in which the shelf and the clamp are so shaped as to have inter-fltting relation for connecting purposes.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the invention applied to a lamp standard;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the clamp and the shelf in detached relation.

Inthe embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, I make use of a shelf l0 semi-circular when viewed according to Fig. 2 and integrally connected with a panel l2. The shelf l0 and the panel are formed from a single piece of sheet metal bent along the line l4 to position the panel at right angles to the shelf. The shelf may be provided with an upstanding flange IS. The shelf part is detachably connected with the lamp standard l8 through the medium of a clamp 20.

Referring to Fig. 4, the clamp 20 comprises a single piece of sheet metal bent back upon itself at 22 to provide a flat wall 24 and two ribs 26 of tapered configuration. The flat reaches 28 and 30 are bent to provide curved reaches 32 which substantially embrace the lamp standard I8, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The free ends of the Another object is to provide a device of the reaches 32 terminate in flares 34 to provide gentle curvatures.

The panel or wall I2 is provided with U-shaped lines of severance 36 and the material struck out to provide flanges 38 which have frictional relation with the ribs 26, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Clamp 20 is connected with the panel I 2 by align! ing the ribs 26 underneath the flanges 38 and pressing the ribs underneath the flanges. Immediately above the flanges 38 I strike outthe. metal to provide an abutment 40 which engages one end of the straight Wall 24 to prevent relative movement between the shelf and the clamp with the device attached to the lamp standard l8, as illustrated in Fig. 3. To the reach 28 I fixedly connect the head 42 of a bolt 44 which extends through a slot 46 in the reach 30. A wing nut 48 has threaded relation with the bolt 44 so that the curved reaches 32 maybe firmly clamped upon the standard l8 (see Fig. 2).

Shelf I0 is severed and the material bent up to provide an ear 50 paralleling the panel l2. The ear 5!] is spaced from the panel sufliciently far to accommodate a cigarette package 52 which is pressed between the ear and the panel with its bottom resting on the shelf. I also provide the shelf ID with two ears 54 which are so spaced as to fit snugly within the cover 56 of a match box. The cover 56 fits snugly between the ears 54 and the panel l2, and the ears are of sufficient length to extend into the cover a sufficient distance to lend good support thereto. The match box is easily mounted on the shelf by merely pressing the cover of the box over the ears 54, at which time the flanges 58 on the ears press the box of the match box outwardly of the cover 56 torender the matches 60 accessible, as indicated in general in Fig. 1. The upper part of the box may be thrown away in the usual manner. The cigarette package, as well as the matches, is held firmly against the panel I2, and the shelf in is of suflicient area to provide space for an ash tray.

I prefer to connect the bolt 44 in fixed relationwith the reach 28 as by welding. Slot 46 accommodates relative shifting of the bolt 44, as when attaching or detaching the shelf. Reaches 28 and 30 are of a flexible nature so as to make the clamp applicable to standards of varying diameters. While I have illustrated the clamp in connection with a lamp standard, the clamp may be attached to flat surfaces, such as, table tops, chair arms, or the like.

Frequently it may be desirable to attach the shelf to a horizontal support. To render the shelf applicable to such a support, I provide the panel I! with a second pair of flanges 62 corresponding to the flanges 38 but arranged in right angular relation thereto. For use in connection with a horizontal support, the ribs 26 are associated with the flanges 62, at which time the shelf III will be supported in a horizontal plane with the clamp 20 connected with a horizontal support. An abutment Gl, corresponding to the abutment 40, is associated with the flanges 62.

The device comprises two principal parts, namely, the clamp 20 and the shelf structure ID. The material of the panel I2 is formed to provide means cooperating with the clamp 20 for connecting purposes. Clamp 2|! is applicable to Y supporting members of varying proportions but may be efiectively clamped thereto through the medium of the bolt 44. Both the clamp and the shelf structure are shaped from sheet metal and may be manufactured by simple bending processes. Y

On the inner faces of the curved reaches 32 I position cushioning pads 66 of material such as felt or rubber, thus protecting lamp standards and other furniture to which the clamp may be applied.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. A smokers article comprising a shelf including an upstanding member, ears carried by said upstanding member, a U-shaped clamp, the bight of the clamp being wider than the spacing of the legs adjacent thereto, to provide ribs, said ribs being slidably related to said ears for detachably connecting the parts, and means for drawing the legs of the clamp into clamping relation with a support.

2. A smokers article comprising a shelf including an upstanding member, ears carried by said upstanding member, a U-shaped clamp, the

bight of the clamp being wider than the spacing of the legs adjacent thereto, to provide ribs, said ribs being slidably related to said ears for detachably connecting the parts, and means for drawing the legs of the clamp into clamping relation with a support, said legs having curved reaches for connection with a lamp standard.

3. A smokers article comprising a shell. including an upstanding member, ears carried by said upstanding member, a U-shaped clamp, the bight of the clamp being wider than the spacing of the legs adjacent thereto, to provide ribs, said ribs being slidably related to said ears for detachably connecting the parts, means for drawing the legs of the clamp into clamping relation with a support, said legs having curved reaches ing the legs of the clamp into clamping relation with a support, said legs having curved reaches for connection with a lamp standard, said means comprising a bolt having one end fixedly connected to one leg and the other end passing through a slot in the other leg, a. nut having threaded relation with the bolt, and means cooperable on the upstanding member and the bight of the clamp forrestraining the two parts from relative movement in one direction.

LEONARD B. PAUL. 

